Game room robbed over the weekend

Police in Beaumont are working to track down two suspects in the latest of a recent rash of game room robberies plaguing Southeast Texas, Beaumont Police Department (BPD) Sgt. Cody Guedry reports.

According to Guedry, officers responded to a robbery at Donna’s Novelties in the strip center at 2562 I-10 E. near the Hotel Beaumont site on Jan. 27 at about 8:45 p.m. When officers arrived, the female manager told them that after two suspects entered the business, one of them pulled a gun and demanded money. She said a third suspected accomplice was holding the door open for the two suspected who barged into the business.

The victim handed over about $2,500 to the suspects, who fled the scene in a gray Dodge Charger. The victim then followed the suspects to an unknown location and returned to the game room, at which time she notified police. She told investigators she saw both male suspects and the suspected female accomplice at the location to which she followed them. However, once the victim finally did call the police, she reported that she had forgotten where the suspects led her.

“We urge the public to contact the police first in the event of any crime as this will assist in the apprehension of suspects leaving the scene as well as vital evidence that could be recovered,” Guedry recommended. “Time lapse between the crime and notifying the police allows the suspects more time to escape and the possibility that evidence can be unrecoverable.”

This game room robbery follows two other reported game room robberies and another suspected robbery in Beaumont earlier this month. According to police, two local game rooms were targeted by masked thieves wielding weapons in three alleged incidents between Jan. 12 and Jan. 15.

Officers responded to the Fun Time Game Room at about 7:15 p.m. Jan. 13 in reference to a robbery in progress and were told that at least two black male suspects entered the business wearing all black, armed with handguns. The suspects demanded money from patrons and the business owner, then took the cash and fled on-foot.

Guedry said he feels the owner may not have reported the Jan. 13 robbery if the business had not been hit just the day before during a separate suspected, but unreported, robbery. He said police found out from witnesses about the suspected robbery, but the owner/operator of the gaming site only filed a report for the Jan. 13 incident.

Just a couple of days later, on Jan. 15 at 1:57 p.m., two suspects matching the description of the Fun Time perpetrators attempted to rob another game room, Fourth Street Gaming, at 2895 S. Fourth St. During that incident, the door person saw the suspects approaching and was able to secure the door before they could enter the business. The suspects were spotted fleeing east in the Fourth Street and Terrell Avenue area. Police were able to identify and detain one of the suspects, but had to let him go, said Guedry.

“The game room owners (and operators) are not cooperating with police,” he explained following the suspect’s catch and release. “One operator (at Fun Time Game Room) made the patrons leave before calling police. We identified one suspect, but we had to release him because the game room operator (at 4th Street Gaming) didn’t want to press charges. There was a security camera at that location, but the complainant refused to allow review of the video.”

Guedry said it is vital for officers to have the full cooperation of complainants during investigations.

No arrests have yet been made in relation to the game room robberies.

Anyone with information in reference to these crimes or any other felony crime is asked to contact Beaumont Police at (409) 832-1234 or Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers at (409) 833-TIPS (8477).

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